radicalducati Chapter 197 People in Panic
Chapter 197 People in Panic
The Hyuga clan's outer lands and Danzo Shimura's Root organization are currently at loggerheads, with a large-scale bloody battle on the verge of erupting at any moment. However, as ninjas, they are all waiting for orders to be given.
Hiashi Hyuga activated his Byakugan and surveyed his surroundings, filled with doubt. He noticed that only Root ninjas surrounded the Hyuga clan's territory, and he frowned. He couldn't understand what Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage, intended to do. Did he really think he could conquer the Hyuga clan with just these Root ninjas? Did this mean that Hiruzen Sarutobi had overestimated the strength of the Root ninjas under Danzo Shimura's leadership?
As a long-established and prestigious clan, Hiashi Hyuga had absolute confidence in the Hyuga clan's strength. He didn't even consider these mere Root ninjas a threat. However, he was constantly worried that Hiruzen Sarutobi would use the Hokage's name to mobilize a large number of Konoha's troops to besiege the Hyuga clan's ninjas. In that case, the vast difference in numbers would inflict heavy losses on the Hyuga clan.
But now, Hiruzen Sarutobi hasn't mobilized the main force of Konoha, and instead is attempting to conquer the Hyuga clan solely with Root ninjas—this is utterly absurd! Could it be that the Hyuga clan has maintained a low profile for so long that the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, has underestimated their true strength? Thinking of this, Hiashi Hyuga's eyes sharpened even more, and he decided to show Hiruzen Sarutobi and those arrogant Root ninjas the power of the Hyuga clan.
Seeing the Hyuga clan preparing to resist, Shimura Danzo couldn't help but gasp. In his view, the Hyuga clan had always been cowardly and timid; once surrounded, they would surely surrender obediently, awaiting his Root's custody. After all, given his position as a high-ranking member of Konoha, mobilizing Root would mean that Konoha considered the Hyuga clan an enemy and was preparing to take action against them. Under normal circumstances, the Hyuga clan would never dare to resist easily.
However, the current situation left Shimura Danzo somewhat perplexed. If the Hyuga clan were to put up a full-scale resistance, their strength should not be underestimated. After all, they were one of Konoha's most prestigious clans, and it would be no easy task for his Root ninja to easily defeat them. The situation was now like an arrow on a bowstring, ready to be released at any moment. Having already made up his mind to take action against Kanan, how could he easily give up? After all, this concerned whether he could successfully control Hyuga Kanan, and he could not afford to make any mistakes.
"Hyuga Hiashi! Does your Hyuga clan intend to collectively betray the village?" Shimura Danzo shouted angrily, his voice revealing a hint of authority and rage.
"Hmph! Shimura Danzo, stop spouting nonsense and false accusations against the Hyuga clan! Our Hyuga clan has a history of over a thousand years, and since joining Konoha, we have never betrayed the village. We have paid the price of countless lives to maintain the peace and stability of Konoha. Yet, you, the high-ranking officials of Konoha, treat us, the clans that have risked our lives for the village, in this way! Not only do you suppress us, but today you have even openly attacked me! Do you really intend for the Hyuga clan to sit idly by and watch as you turn your swords against us? Konoha is not the private property of you high-ranking officials; it is a home built by many clans and many ninjas! Do you think you can so easily condemn the Hyuga clan based on your own words? I want to see what face you have, what right you have to say such things!" Hyuga Hiashi retorted disdainfully to Shimura Danzo.
The Hyuga clan members, initially flustered by Shimura Danzo's accusation of treason, gradually calmed down upon hearing Hiashi's words, their panic replaced by boundless rage. They couldn't accept that this man had so easily branded the Hyuga clan as traitors, nor could they comprehend why, despite having committed no act of betrayal against Konoha, they were forced to sit idly by and await their fate of slaughter. Their clan had made countless efforts and sacrifices for Konoha, protecting this land with the lives of countless members, yet now those achievements were so easily erased.
Seeing the furious expressions on the faces of all the Hyuga clan ninjas, and the bloodthirsty glint in their eyes, Shimura Danzo realized that it was no longer possible to intimidate the Hyuga clan with Konoha's overwhelming power. He cursed inwardly, "Damn the Hyuga clan! If I were Hokage, they would never dare to contradict me like that! Just wait, I will definitely become Hokage!" At this moment, Shimura Danzo's desire to become Hokage grew even stronger. He firmly believed that only by standing in that position could he truly wield power and make it impossible for others to defy his will.
Currently, the only way to control the Hyuga clan is to use them as leverage against Hyuga Kanan, thus making them a powerful asset in his ascension to the Hokage throne. Therefore, the rebellion led by Hyuga Hiashi enraged Shimura Danzo. In his view, as a clan of Konoha, they should obey his orders and obediently surrender. Now that things had come to this, he had no time to think further and could only hope that the Root ninja could successfully subdue them. "Attack immediately! Take down these traitorous Hyuga clan members!" Shimura Danzo ordered the Root ninja beside him without hesitation, determined to subdue them first before making any further plans.
The Root ninjas surrounding the Hyuga clan's territory sprang into action, attacking the Hyuga clan members. Hyuga Hiashi, without hesitation, also gave the order for a full-scale counterattack. He couldn't care less about what Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage, was plotting; he had to defeat these Root ninjas first before considering how to deal with Hiruzen Sarutobi hiding behind the scenes.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat quietly in his office, listening to Itachi Uchiha report on the contents and conclusions of the Uchiha clan meeting, his hand tapping incessantly on the desk in front of him. He sensed trouble. His years of scheming against the Uchiha clan were about to be shattered by today's Hyuga clan incident. The Uchiha clan, previously isolated by Konoha, would likely gain powerful allies today, making it much harder to isolate them in the future. Furthermore, with the two major Konoha clans joining forces, even as the Hokage, he could no longer easily manipulate them. Otherwise, if they were to launch a coup, Konoha would truly be in turmoil. But the current situation was beyond his control, and he couldn't change it.
"Damn Danzo! It was his careless attack on the Hyuga clan that turned years of planning into this mess. It won't be so easy for them to target the Uchiha clan again!" Hiruzen Sarutobi was furious at Danzo's reckless actions, but his face remained calm, maintaining the dignity of the Hokage while feigning a hint of benevolence. Looking at the figure kneeling before him, he felt a sliver of relief.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was incredibly fortunate to now have the young generation of Uchiha geniuses under his control. Shisui and Itachi, the two most talented ninjas of the Uchiha clan, had been brainwashed by him from a young age and trusted him implicitly, meaning he would still have opportunities to scheme against the Uchiha clan in the future. However, the Hyuga clan would be in a more troublesome situation. After what happened today, no one in the Hyuga clan would trust the Konoha leadership anymore; they would be lucky if they didn't remain hostile. Most importantly, how would they deal with Hyuga Kanan when he returned to Konoha?
"Itachi, you should return to your clan now. This matter will be in the hands of your Uchiha clan. I hope your clan can resolve this quickly and restore peace to Konoha. Go." Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the kneeling Itachi with a solemn expression, as if entrusting the rest of the work to him. This deeply moved Itachi, further solidifying his belief that the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was the one who truly dedicated himself to Konoha. He saw his own clan and the Hyuga clan as selfish families that only cared about their own interests and never considered the greater good of Konoha.
"Yes! Lord Hokage, I'm sorry to have troubled you!" After bowing respectfully to Hiruzen Sarutobi, Itachi Uchiha slowly left the Hokage's office and headed towards the Uchiha clan's security force.
The Uchiha clan, after careful consideration, decided to offer assistance to the Hyuga clan in the face of their current crisis. They understood that this was a golden opportunity, the only way to truly forge a friendship between the two clans and establish a long-term, stable alliance.
Meanwhile, Fugaku Uchiha swiftly mobilized the entire security force. Over 500 Uchiha clan ninja assembled and marched towards the Hyuga clan's territory at top speed. Ninja from other clans, witnessing this group adorned with the Uchiha clan crest moving through the villages, were filled with dread. The massive influx of the Uchiha clan's main fighting force into the village center sparked various speculations and panic. Many mistakenly believed that the Uchiha clan, unable to endure the oppression from their superiors any longer, had finally decided to launch a coup.
The Uchiha clan's actions have drawn significant attention from various factions, plunging Konoha into a tense atmosphere. People speculate about the Uchiha clan's true intentions, and rumors abound. However, Fugaku Uchiha knows clearly that their mission is not to incite internal strife, but rather to demonstrate the Uchiha clan's loyalty and strength, and to maintain the village's peace and stability. In this turbulent situation, how will the Uchiha clan respond to external misunderstandings and challenges? Can they successfully help the Hyuga clan resolve the crisis?